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KLAUS PRESENTS HIS BOOK ON CZECH POST-1989 DEVELOPMENTS IN USA

March 08, 2005

Czech News Agency

WASHINGTON, March 8 (CTK) - Czech President Vaclav Klaus presented his book "On Road to Democracy: the Czech Republic from the Communist Regime to the Free Society," written in English and published by the U.S. conservative think tank National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), in Washington today.

On this occasion, Klaus said he hopes that the book will help the readers understand what occurred and what is going on in central and Eastern Europe at the difficult moments of changes, what are the challenges of the present time and the problems linked with (countries') EU entry.

The 200-page book contains Klaus's speeches, essays and lectures over the past decade, in which he mainly focused on domestic developments but also on EU enlargement, and economic changes and questions of the current world.

During the presentation today, Klaus recalled that this is his second English-written book.

Answering questions addressed to him, he said that in promoting democracy it is necessary to find an optimal proportion between the movement at home and foreign influences. As an example he would give the current situation in Lebanon and Syria, where both aspects should be respected.

It is important to keep the domestic efforts and pressure from abroad in equilibrium, Klaus added.

Asked to name the largest success the Czech Republic has achieved since the collapse of the communist regime, Klaus said it was the improvement of the environment. Under the communists, the environment was damaged by the then economic regime. At present, the free market helps put it right, Klaus said.

Klaus presented his book in Dallas, where the NCPA is based, on Monday.

Klaus was already an NCPA guest in September 2003, when he was given the Crystal Eagle from the NCPA in the presence of 600 most outstanding personalities of Texas.

In an open letter to Klaus, Bush appreciated his ability to lead and his support to the principles of free market economy.

The NCPA is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation which has set as its aim to develop and advocate private alternatives to the government decisions, and settle the problems with the use of the forces of the ambitious and enterprising private sector.

It sees as its mission to search for new solutions to the problems of public life through the initiatives of the private sector.